Chapter 28

Imogen was shaking as Thor's strong hands cupped her shoulders and peeled her away from Elga's body.

"Come, Imogen." His gentle voice murmured.

She didn't have the will nor the strength to resist him as Thor eased her away and she finally glimpsed Elga again – dead.

Elga's blank eyes stared up the sky, quickly clearing of cloud to allow the stars to shine through. Her lips were parted from her final breath, her everlasting expression softer than Imogen would have thought possible from her enemy, almost one of wonder.

She felt sick to look at her and the knife protruding from her chest; that was her fault. She had killed someone.

Elga had killed her boy, but a life was a life and Imogen's hands shook violently, still coated in Elga's blood. She had never killed anyone before, never hurt anyone, not like this. How did Thor do it? How did he kill scores on the battlefield and still return to her gentle and caressing? How did it not burn him up inside?

Her vision blurred with tears and she gasped as their saltiness ran through the cuts in her cheek. Her hand gripped Thor's at her shoulder, before her knees shuddered underneath her and she fell to the ground again.

This time, Thor didn't try to move her. Instead he moved round and knelt before her, hand cupping her uninjured cheek tenderly.

"You are hurt." He murmured, eyes scouring over her with concern. He noted the wounds on her cheek, the blood that stained the shoulder and neckline of her dress from the cuts to her neck and ear. They were all filthy and red, throbbing angrily. "We must get you to the palace."

There was nothing the god wanted to do more than envelop his wife into his arms and cradle her as she wept. She was a lady, not a warrior. As strong as she was, this was not what she was built for. He didn't dare embrace her though, for fear of hurting her further. Where else might she be hurt that he could not see? She needed care.

Sniffling, blinking away her tears, Imogen cleared her throat. "What about you?" she choked. "You were enchanted…"

Thor gulped hard, and was glad that Imogen's eyes still stared traumatised at his chest. His heart skipped a beat, nightmares ghosting in his head; endless armies, death and destruction, tiny bodies of loved ones he had lost…

"I am fine." He forced out, though it was true. He was shaken, but otherwise unharmed.

It was Imogen he was concerned about.

Her face was white as she looked around her, eyes settling on the paralysed witch in the middle of the glade.

"We will take her back to Asgard." Thor said, following her gaze. "We will expose her for what she has done and give her a swift end so that we can continue with our lives." Settling his gaze back on his wife, his hand fell down to the gentle swell of her abdomen. "All of us."

Once this was behind them, they could move on. Imogen could come home, they could resume things how they had before – and now they could anticipate their new child in peace. Shelby would have her mother back. Thor would need to rebuild his advisors; every man he had previously sought wisdom or council from, save from his own father, was now dead thanks to the witch. But they would be safe again, at last.

From what Thor now knew, they had been targeted for a long time before things had started to go wrong.

That would all be over now though. Now, they could focus on being a family again, on being the kind of rulers they wanted to be without the push of others. They could be free again.

Gently, Thor reached an arm around his wife's shoulders. "We must get you home." He soothed, guiding her to her feet. This time, she was able to hold her ground. "You need tending to – and Shelby will want to see you." He would send guards to collect the bodies and witch from the glade. They would hardly be going anywhere fast.

He just wanted to take care of his wife for now.

Finally, tears drying on her pale face, Imogen nodded. A spark of colour returned to her at the mention of Shelby and she took a careful step, testing her steadiness. She didn't fall; that was enough for her.

Thor's hand reached out for Mjolnir and the hammer came flying to his call instantly from across the glade. As soon as it reached him, he stepped forward to Imogen and wrapped an arm around her, eyes already lifted in the sky in anticipation to fly far away from the horrible memories of that night.

Then a cry pierced through the night and Imogen stumbled free of Thor's hold, feeling her heart in her mouth.

A baby.

She could hear it – somewhere in the trees! Hearing the infant's cry, Thor lowered his hammer, brow furrowed as his eyes scoured around.

"A child?" he mused, bewildered. "Out here?"

Stepping away from Imogen, his gaze swept the edges of the glade for anything that might lead them to the distressed child, but he couldn't battle down the feeling of unease that rose up inside him. A child, out in the forest? That was not normal.

Imogen didn't share his suspicion however, he noticed, as he watched his wife stumble towards the trees as if possessed. Her face was ashen.

She felt like she was going to be physically sick as she stepped out of the glade and back into the dark shelter of the trees, hearing the cries get ever so clearer. He was somewhere in this direction. She knew those cries and had heard them before, only this time her heart bled with anguish at hearing them for a brand new reason, one she had created herself. Slowly, she picked her way though the trees, hearing Thor follow clumsily behind her.

"Imogen." He said quietly. "This doesn't feel right."

No, it didn't, she agreed silently; but not for the same reasons.

She followed her instinct more than what she could hear or see, as if she was tied to the little baby and he was shortening the string.

Finally though, the cries ringing in her ear, Imogen stopped in her tracks – and looked down. Nestled at the base of a tree trunk, lay a little baby boy, wrapped firmly in a filthy blanket. A tear slipped over Imogen's cheek as she found him.

Behind her, she felt Thor pause, then stiffen.

"He was hers." She said shakily, eyes scouring over the crying baby, watching his little fists rub clumsily over his face. "He was her son and now I've killed his mother…"

Thor looked on, seeing the tiny baby and his wife's teary reaction and he sighed, letting his shoulders slump. There was no danger here. The air that Elga had breathed, the placed that she walked had been poisoned with the evil she carried with her. But even Thor could see there was no danger to be found in this, an abandoned infant. Had Elga even planned to come back for him after her plan had completed?

Stepping forward, the god knelt down on one knee and looked at the baby closer. He looked relatively healthy, if not a bit malnourished and so very dirty in that ragged blanket.

Regardless, he was just a baby…

Setting his hammer down, the god sighed a second time as he reached for the child, hardly believing what he was doing. Scooping him up gently, Thor held the child close and rocked him soothingly, whispering in his ear until his little bellows started to quieten.

Behind him, Imogen watched his every move. Good, he thought as he turned back to her.

Her glittering eyes stared up at him confused.

The god cradled the baby in his arm and met his wife's curious gaze firmly, not a shadow of a doubt in his mind: "We have robbed him of his family." He said solemnly. "So we will be his family from now on."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, Imogen's eyes widened and Thor wasn't sure if that was in happiness or dread. He didn't give her a chance to say which though as he stepped forward and eased the child down into her arms. Her eyes were glued to him as he settled in the crook of her arm, his little fist half in his mouth.

The god's lips quirked at the corner, feeling his own heart melt a little bit. Perhaps this would work for all of them after all.

The boy would have a mother.

Imogen would have a son.

And Thor could watch his family grow, all happy and safe at last. That was all he had ever wanted.

Imogen's stroked a delicate finger over the boy's tiny cheek and Thor watched as he reached up and his fingers curled around Imogen's finger firmly. Finally, a teary smile curved on her lips and she chuckled.

The nightmare was over.

XXX

A year later...

"Come on, Shelby." Thor cooed softly. "Time to meet your new brother."

The god walked slowly down the corridor from the nursery, Shelby walking along beside him, her little blonde curls bouncing around her as she walked. She was getting used to walking by herself a lot more recently, since Thor's arms were usually already filled.

The adopted prince lay sleeping in Thor's arms as they made their way back to their chambers, thumb in his mouth. He did that a lot, they had quickly discovered after taking the boy in that fateful night. It was one of the many things they loved about him.

Tufts of dark hair had started to grow on his head and his little amber eyes grey more alert and more inquisitive every day. Thor and Imogen had fallen in love with him almost instantly. He was a lot chubbier than when they had first found him, lots of feeding filling him out healthily. They had dressed him in fresh clothes that fitted snugly, such a stark contrast to the grubby blanket he had started his life in.

He was a prince now, and was treated as such, even if he was not bound by blood. They had grown to love him as one of their own.

Thor smiled down at the infant. "You ready for a brother, Destin?"

If the boy had had a name when Elga had cared for him, they did not know it and had no way of finding out. When they had brought him home, they had named him Destin – destiny. It had been an act of fate that had brought them their first son.

Now, just after the birth of their second, life could not be much more perfect. Thor was practically glowing as they finally reached their chambers and he held the door open, Shelby scampering excitedly inside.

He followed with an adoring smile, watching the youngster run straight to her grandmother. Vovla scooped her up lovingly, twirling her around before she settled the little girl at her hip as she stood at Imogen's bedside.

Thor's gaze found his wife in a heartbeat.

She had never looked more beautiful, Thor thought. Her dark hair was braided and draped over one shoulder, dressed in a white nightgown as she sat in the bed. Her smile dominated her face, eyes crinkling in the corners with happiness. He hadn't seen her look as happy and carefree as that for a long time and his heart swelled with happiness to see it again.

As Thor approached, his eyes fell to the tiny bundle of life she cradled in her arms. He bent and kissed her cheek lovingly. "Have we got another screamer?" he murmured softly.

Imogen chuckled down at the baby in her arms. "I don't think screamer is the right word. I would call him a howler."

He was snugly wrapped up in blankets, cradled in his mother's arms. For the moment, he was peacefully asleep, his eyes fluttered shut in deep slumber with a little fist resting against Imogen's chest. Thor wondered what colour eyes he had. Tiny tufts of dark hair lay on the top of his head and it made Thor smile, seeing elements if his mother in the little boy.

"He's perfect." He crooned, feeling his heart swell with adoration for the youngster. Thor couldn't help himself and he leaned forward, gently stroking a finger against his son's chubby cheek.

The baby stirred and gave a tiny whine as he yawned, sleepily peeling his eyes open – they were the bluest blue that Thor had ever seen.

Thor's smile widened, brimming with happiness – everything was perfect.

A/N

Okay, and that's the end. I hope you enjoyed the story and the different direction it took to the previous one.

This is the end for this series, unfortunately.

All the same, I hope you liked it and please write a review!